Qualifiers for Super 12
After a nail-biting qualifiers stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, the stage is set for the main competition, which is Super 12.
The Super 12 phase of the 8th edition of the T20 World Cup will be starting on October 22, when the finalists of the last year’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand will lock horns in the first Super 12 game. Followed by England and Afghanistan.
The games of the Group 2 teams will start on Sunday, October 23. And the biggest clash between India and Pakistan, which everyone is waiting for will be played on Sunday.
But, before looking at the main event’s competition cycle, we must look analyze how Ireland and Zimbabwe reached the Super 12.
And without any further delay let’s talk about the performances of the Group B teams and what we can expect from them in the Super 12.
What pundits have predicted?
West Indies was the sure-shot pick of almost every expert from Group B to qualify for the next phase.
Apart from the Caribbean, the second predicted team was even most probably Ireland and some said Zimbabwe may a small window to make their way too.
What actually happened?
Zimbabwe and Ireland were in the tough group alongside West Indies and when everyone was expecting West Indies to be the first team to go through the next round from Group B. Zimbabwe came out of syllabus and grabbed the top position at the points table heading into Super 12.
The Ervine-led side, who started their campaign with a win, faced a defeat in the second, but they didn’t lose hope and went on to win their final qualifier game against Scotland on Friday to become second team from Group B to qualify for the Super 12 phase of the tournament.
The second team?
Ireland, however was in the scheme of many thoughts that they might be the second team from Group B to qualify. Their start, however, didn’t even go well as they lost their first game against Zimbabwe on Monday. At first, they failed to restrict the Zimbabwean batters for a low-score. And a top-order collapse cost them the game by 31 runs.
Andrew Balbirnie’s side then made a solid comeback in their second game and they chased down a 177-run target in 19 overs with four wickets in hand.
Curtis Campher starred with the bat for Ireland in the game as he smashed an unbeaten knock of 72 off 32 to help his side cross the finishing line.
They performed even better in their third match, and shockingly defeated the 2-time T20 World Cup Champions West Indies by 9 wickets with 15 balls yet to spare in a 147-run chase encounter.
What to expect from them?
The Group 2 consist of some of the strongest teams in the world like India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh and to fit in between and qualify for the semis by defeating them is next to impossible kind of task for them, but you never know, as it’s a shortest format of the game, and the match can be change in a single delivery.
Zimbabwe had previously showed to the world that what they can do on their day. The time when even the strongest teams were shivering in fear to face the mighty Australia of 2000s decade. Zimbabwe shocked the whole world and defeated the Aussies by 5 wickets in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.
Netherlands also not behind in upsetting a major team’s camp. In the 2014 T20 World Cup, the Dutch side outshined the English side by 45 runs in the group stage game.
Both Netherlands and Zimbabwe are capable of disturbing the opponents strong run with their brilliance. And the teams should be very aware about them.
